Straight North

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Since going live Q4 of 2016, our Westfalia parking site, our Westfalia USA website has seen an increase in organic traffic of 56% year over year. Since going live last year, our Westfalia parking site has increased an average of 42% each month.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very helpful and friendly. They're always willing to explain any questions we may have in detail, providing any additional reporting on certain requests as needed.

Caitlin and I touch base through monthly calls to go through their custom reporting dashboard, GoNorth, which shows us an overview of how our websites are performing, what leads are coming in through web forms, etc. That's incredibly helpful in understanding the value of the work that they're doing for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our account manager, Caitlin, has been wonderful to work with. She answers any questions I have thoroughly and promptly. She's even visited the office and sat down with me one-on-one. That personal touch is very important to us—their team is just a good match for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be helpful to have a more detailed strategic end goal in mind, but overall there's not too much that I'd change about their approach.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide as much detail as you can and make sure to ask any questions you may have. Since each business is unique, the more detail you can provide them, the better the service will be.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Previously the only way to find our site on Google was to type in the company’s name because we didn’t show up in searches for key products. Now we're on the first page of results when you search keywords such as vapor degreaser. Since we launched the new site, we have about eight leads per month that are verified in terms of orders coming through or we're starting to work with them.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform really well. Caitlin is great and really has a handle on everything going on with our account. We do a phone conference with her once a month and then she gives us updates on projects in the interim over email. Occasionally some projects take a little longer than planned but she’s pretty good about letting us know upfront.

Straight North created a dashboard in the admin section of our website that shows all the site and lead metrics. We can access it any time to see the data, but Caitlin also sends us a monthly report that includes a summary of how we’re doing and her recommendations for the next month. Then our team provides feedback or any changes we want to make.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've worked with other companies and they were all slow to respond to requests. It could take a month just to update one thing on the website. With the last company we used, we didn’t have access to the backend of the site to make simple changes. With Straight North, we have the ability to go in and change things ourselves. If we do send them a request, we get a response within 24 hours and the site is quickly updated. I also really like that they're always developing new ways to drive more people to the site.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk over any concerns with your project manager because they're great at explaining everything in detail. We didn't know all the steps that go into verifying leads and moving up on Google and Caitlin did a great job explaining that to us.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We're very happy with them, especially with the progress of our keyword results. We've had one specific, highly competitive keyword that their team has been able to make #1 in Google search rankings. Other keywords that weren't previously placing well have now moved up to the first couple of pages.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very thorough. We have weekly status calls with their team and they also provide monthly reports detailing all projects.

They communicate using their own project management software, GoNorth Reporting, which provides us a detailed report of all our keywords and linkbacks. It also updates us on how many points we're using under their system and what articles are in progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're able to do what they say they can do. Their team has managed to get us on page 1, if not the top placement, for some of our keywords.

I also appreciate Jess's communication; she's great at staying on top of things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they're great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be patient. Climbing the rankings takes time—it's not an overnight process.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We don’t use our website for lead generation, but instead use it as a brochure and brand communication tool, so it’s difficult to determine the impact they’ve had on our success through their designs. However, the designs have been consistently popular internally, and we’ve never received negative feedback from customers or prospective clients on any aspects of our website they designed.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project efficiently by involving more of their team members when a project was larger or more complex. Our process included several conversations on what we specifically needed, but these conversations did not slow turnaround time. They delivered high-quality work, quickly understood our brand, and translated it into a sleek, professional, consistent vision for our website.

They were also receptive to feedback and willing to makes changes, while remaining on schedule and moving forward at an efficient pace. Throughout the project, their customer service was excellent. We used state-of-the-art project management tools for communication and collaboration so we could view designs and leave feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was pleased with Straight North as soon as we started working them. Their design work is impressive because it is both sophisticated and elegant. Their team particularly stood out because they are down-to-earth, friendly, and responsive. I enjoyed working with such polite people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could more aggressively highlight their other capabilities, such as SEO and services beyond web design. Nevertheless, this is certainly not a complaint.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engagements with them are straightforward, so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them as a full-service web design company.